Mail Slot Regulations in New Jersey
The governing regulations about mailboxes and mail slots are determined not by individual states but by the United States Postal Service (USPS). The USPS doesn't vary in its regulations by state, since it's a federally regulated organization. States and municipalities are not involved in mail delivery, so there are no separate regulations regarding size or location beyond those set by the USPS.
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Slot Size
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The mail slot must be a minimum of 1.5 inches wide and 7 inches long. Most slots, however, are larger in size to accommodate larger pieces of mail.
Mail Slot Placement
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Mail slots can be either horizontal or vertical. In either case, the bottom edge of the slot must be at least 30 inches off the interior floor.
If you have a mail slot with a hinged flap on the outside, there are a few standards concerning how the flap should be oriented. If your slot is placed horizontally, the flap has to be hinged at the top covering the slot. If your slot is placed vertically, the flap has to be hinged opposite the hinged side of the residence's entrance.
For example, if your door swings open to the left and your mail slot is installed on the left next to the door's hinges, the flap should be hinged on the extreme left so that it swings in the same direction as the door. If it was placed on the other side, it should swing opposite the door.
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Interior Hood Size and Placement
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Some mail slots have an interior hood to protect the mail and ensure privacy.
If you are using a hood, the hood shouldn't extend past the bottom line of a horizontally-placed slot, or the side line of the edge nearest the hinged side of the residence's door if placed vertically. In addition, the hood has to be a minimum of 2 1/16 inches beyond the inside face of the door to keep mail from getting stuck or from not being able to be pushed through the slot.
These are the minimum requirements. For better results, you should increase the dimensions if possible.
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References
- Photo Credit New and beautiful mail box on a metal gate image by terex from Fotolia.com
